A Puppy At My Heels (Alistair)

[ARTISAN KIM]

“I don't deserve to be treated like an animal,” he said, although he sounded uncertain, “Why would I deserve it? I haven't done anything wrong – all I do is exist! And I...and I...” The chimera couldn't help himself; as much as he wanted to further defend himself with a sarcastic remark, he wound up offering his ears to the demon with a dreamy smile and eyes closed in bliss. Even his voice sounded a little distant as he began to trust the monster, and began to doubt himself.

“But...but...Alistair said we were best friends,” he said, “Even if I'm not human, I can still be his friend. He...he wouldn't lie to me about that. Lilly would still love me! Sh-she would. I'm sure she would...” Artie didn't want to believe the demon, but the seed of doubt in his mind was flourishing. Did he really have any friends at this circus? Or did he merely have masters disguised under a faux friendly face? “You're lying to me!” he said, “You're just trying to confuse me, that's all!

The chimera hugged his knees to his chest, an action that helped to reassure him. Was the boogeyman really lying to him? Or merely stating the cruel, harsh reality of a chimera's existence? “It's harder to think when I let my instincts take over,” he protested, “Even when I changed around Alistair, my human self was still in control from the backseat. If I let go completely I...”

He hesitated.

Was it wrong that he felt so ashamed by what came next?

“I guess that I would be happier,” he said, “It'd be easier to live that way, too. Master said he'd let me stay no matter what, so it's not like I'd die on the streets or anything. I don't know if that invitation is still open if I'm a killer, but...but is it worth it? I...I really like talking with people and reading! And learning and thinking deeply! And I like playing with Lilly and being able to live like everyone else. It's harder, but isn't it worth it? I can't think of a reason why an easy life is worth giving up all this good stuff. And—Oh!”

With a giggle, Artie scampered after the ball. The creature forgot where he was for a moment and pounced on the object, a light growling rising in his throat. Once the object was safe between his hands and gnawed on by his lethal jaws, Artie seemed to snap back into the present; he was semi-naked and chasing objects in front of one of the oldest, most dangerous entities known to man.

Crap.

“I-I don't know if it's a good idea to let my instincts take over,” he said, bringing the ball back to Alistair's body, “I don't think I could give up on so much human stuff. Besides...”

He sighed.

“Master...wouldn't want me to give up, would he?” asked Artie.

If the boogeyman could completely crush the spirit of the chimera and convince the creature to revert back into its original, mindless killing-machine purpose, it would be the perfect means of revenge for six years of starvation. Sure, killing Artie would cause Alistair some pain. But forcing the ringmaster to watch his first and only friend be manipulated and crushed before his very eyes? There was no sweeter revenge.

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[ALISTAIR PYREWICK]

Now, if there was one thing Artie most likely underestimated, it was just how ruthless the monster within Alistair was. It truly did not possess a heart for anyone- Including the man that saved its being. It only sympathized with other monsters, not through care but how well it could possibly manipulate them. Unknowingly, it lulled Alistair into a false sense of security. If he had a friend, he could make that person (or chimera, in this case) suffer to make Alistair pay. Fortunately for the monster Artie was also a beast. If it could appeal to that monster inside of Artie... There was no telling as to what it could do with him.

The monster chuckled with a sly grin. "Oh, would he?" It crossed his legs and folded them daintily over his lap. "Believe me, Artie: I share a body with this man. I see the things that run through his mind. He is quite desperate for companionship, let me tell you." The boy was a mess. Hopefully, pressing his buttons would trigger something out of him. "He does not care for you personally, think about it. He is taking care of you just to return the deed of your swear to loyalty. He is just too much of a gentleman to turn you down, and is too scared of your potential to even fathom rejecting you. He may be immortal with me inside of him, but that does not mean he is invincible." Everything except for that final statement was of course false. Alistair genuinely cared a great deal for Artie, despite having just met him. If he weren't unconscious in the unconscious portions of his brain, he would have desperately fought to the surface to tell that everything the monster was saying was false. Of course, the spirit of Alistair had lost its power. It would take a great deal for him to wake back up.

The monster smiled in mockery as it watched the stupid animal chase the ball without a second thought. It truly didn't make sense that he refused to succumb to the side most easy. It took him the utmost ability to eat like a decent human being, but didn't take any reconsideration in chasing a tossed ball across the floor. Stupid, stupid Artie. With the return of the ball, the ringmaster's shell patted the chimera's head. "Good boy." And that was only the beginning.

"See? Now does that feel better than the shame of failing to eat at a decent setting? How about being shunned from all of your fellow oddities for relieving your stress on that foolishly idiotic invisible man that underestimated you? Speaking of which, how good did it feel to tear him apart? You liked it. You liked it a lot. Just as Alistair likes my reign of destruction. Hm, but this world seems to make the greatest of sinners saints and the monsters doing what comes naturally the ultimate criminal. Do you truly like to do these human things? Or is it a way for yourself to prove that you are different than how you were created?" It then chuckled under his breath. "Why else do you think Alistair is such an uppity prude..."

The monster then hopped off the desk, approaching a small cabinet that was in the nook of one of the bookshelves. After entering a combination a large supply of booze was revealed from its former hiding place. He lifted a bottle of red wine from the storage and proceeded to close it. Following the pouring of a glass he closed the bottle and proceeded to walk around the room, drink in hand. "It is too bad that Alistair does not enjoy alcohol as much as I do... And his father did. Oh well. If I have his body one night I might as well do with it as I desire." It chuckled as it took a sip.

A sudden thought seemed to dawn upon the monster as it turned to face the chimera once more. "Well, Artie, your master is quite the dull one, if you have not noticed yet. He is willing to see past anything if it means he receives the attention he never quite received as a child. Monster or human? Please, as if the man had the willpower to reject either side. He is weak, Artie. In fact I am surprised you have not tried to bend him to your will quite yet..." A soft snort came from his nose as the monster began to lose grip on Alistair's body. The time was coming, and it was faster than usual. "He says he wanted you to become a human. But that is only because that is what you personally want. Change your mind in a split second and Alistair will follow you like a lost puppy.
Who is the master here? You or him? Artie, you have got to start making an identity for yourself. I tell you what..." A devious grin spread across his face, though with his back against Artie is was difficult to tell that it was wearing it. "You want to see what feels better? Come with me tonight. Artie, we could devastate entire villages together. We could devour as many as we want and with my power I can make everybody forget it even happened. What do you say? I know that PJ kid felt so good. Trust me, I have been waiting six years to feel the way I am meant to felt on a consistent basis. You were brought into the world as a subordinate to humans. They have wronged you since the beginning of your life. Even your 'mama' did not truly love you. Is it not time for you to make them pay? To show who is truly dominant and most powerful?" He turned and outstretched a hand with a sickly sweet smile.

"Partners?"

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[ARTISAN KIM]

It made sense, didn't it? How likely was it that the reserved, conservative ringmaster could harbor a secret disgust for the chimera? Artie had given Alistair the entirety of his heart and loyalty, and now doubted whether it was a fool's decision. The monster was pretty convincing, but the reason Artie believed him so much was because the creature voiced the uncertainties always hovering in the back of his own mind. It was as if the monster had zeroed in on the chimera's greatest insecurities and darkest fears, and was toying with them. “

Now readily warming up to the monster, Artie smiled blissfully when Alistair patted him on the head. “I guess...I guess it does feel good,” he said sheepishly. Artie was eating up the bait and falling for every last one of the boogeyman's lies. It was as if Artie's sincerity and trust had made him incredibly gullible, or at least easy to manipulate. “I-I don't know,” he said suddenly, “I've made a lot of progress, right? I'm not sure if it's a good idea to give up now, now when I've come so far. I mean, I've come far...right? That means being human isn't impossible for me, right?”

Artie looked to Alistair for reassurance and approval, still as reliant on the shell as with the actual person. In the scope of events, Artie was making leaps of progress since his first few days of freedom. But his advancement were so small and came so slowly that it was hard for the chimera to see them.

But as Alistair unlocked the cabinet for alcohol, Artie's attention latched onto the bottles. His nose wrinkled at the smell, as the liquor's strong odor burned his nose. “Do you want more?” he asked, pointing to the alcohol, “I know where there's more!” The chimera had a happy, eager-to-please look on his face. It was the same expression he'd given Alistair when presenting his drawing during their first visit. “Do I get to try some, too?” he asked. Quickly though, he reminded himself that the creature wearing Alistair's body wasn't to be treated so lovingly. Why was he allowing himself to get so comfortable? Shouldn't he have been more...concerned?

The confusion was easy to see on Artie's face, whose puzzled expression read like an open book. But before he could think too deeply on the matter, the demon had struck another nerve. “You mean...master is just using me?” he asked quietly, “He's just using me to feel better about himself? I...I thought that he really did love me.”

Even if the chimera didn't cry like the last time, his voice was still utterly heartbroken. Yet, he didn't want to give up his humanity so easily. If the boogeyman wanted to control him, he'd have to dig deeper into the darker corners of the boy's heart. At least, that would be the fun part for the monster; to pick apart a shunned child's warped sense of identity and reality, then manipulate it into something hideous.

“I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do,” he fretted, feeling hot from nerves, “H-how do I even know if humans are right when they talk about what's good and bad? I'm not sure if I should...I mean, I can be really dangerous if my human side isn't in control. I'm not sure if it's a good idea--”

The chimera froze a the mention of her.

“Mama?”

Something inside of Artie broke. He looked down and rubbed his chest, leaving red marks and streaks across the flesh. How many years of empty love had been wasted on that woman? How many times had she reminded him of the life he'd never have? Artie took a deep breath.

“Partners.”

And he shook the monster's hand.

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[ALISTAIR PYREWICK]

Oh, this was just too rich. The monster practically had to hold himself to prevent him from laughing at just how gullible this chimera was. Really, it seemed like he wasn't worth the money he was made on. But, personal disdain aside, the bogeyman had just what he needed to make the inferior species and the host of his body suffer. All he needed was another monster with a 'yes sir' personality to not only help him feed but punish Alistair for being such an awful carrier of the curse.

For the most part, the monster allowed himself to be silent as Artie tried to figure out the inner workings of this situation. It had already done its part to strike a delicate cord. Now it was time to wait for Artie's final decision. Of course, it couldn't help but to chime in on occasion. "Artie, how can it be possible for you to be something you never were? If I wanted to be a dog for instance, how could I become one? I could only go so far before meeting a limit that is neither me nor a dog." It shrugged Alistair's shoulders before drumming his fingers on its drink.

The question regarding the alcohol was met with a shake of his head. "I have all the alcohol I need. If you are referring to that shanty of a tavern out there then I would rather pass. The good stuff is up here anyhow." He gestured his hand towards the cabinet that held a wide variety of whiskey, gin, vodka and rum. "Help yourself Artie. Just do not get too drunk." If he did, then he was off no use to him. It could not handle drunkedness except for its own, unless its victim was easier to use whilst intoxicated.

The ringmaster's waited patiently as Artie tried to figure out the rest of his future existence. For him, it would be much easier to live as a monster. Though Alistair would be disheartened to see that his beloved chimera fell to the insecurities of his heart to a point in which he could not return, his master would always be there for him. In all probability, the monster would be sent to one of the specialty rooms in the 'jail'. The rather spacious cell would be set up for him much like a natural environment to allow his beast to live comfortably for the remainder of his days. Alistair would even try to visit him daily so that he could still read to him. Other than that, Artie was allowed to live as he pleased in that cell. Wouldn't that be a lot easier than having to worry about a price-filled freedom?

And, soon enough, he had decided his own fate.

The heartbroken whimper of the word 'mama' was an instant indicator that he had won. The creepy smile that he couldn't help but to allow on his face was forced into an easy one, one that secured trust and authentic caring. Of course, that was not at all what it was meant to be. Naturally, satisfaction seeped inside the ringmaster's body towards all recesses of his mind; including where Alistair's true spirit kept itself. Oh no. It had won. Just a few more presses of Artie's buttons and the monster would completely have the chimera under its control. The monster could physically start to feel the migraine once more forming at the base of his skull from the true conscience's attempts to break free. But his attempts were all but successful.

The handshake was done in a fraction of a second.

No... The voice of the true Alistair whispered mentally. Unknown to him, the monster was for once bringing Alistair out of remission. Fortunately for the monster it had gained enough control to allow him to witness everything from within his own mind without having the ability to prevent anything from physically happening. All Alistair could possibly do was watch and whine in absolute futility.

Artie... I am... Please, if you could hear me right now you'd know how much I really do care about you. It's... It's lying to you! Please Artie! Do not listen to it!... Artie? Artie I love you... And, even if he does get you..."

"I always will." The barely audible whisper poured out from the monster's borrowed mouth as Alistair had gained control once more for a few split seconds. Of course the monster had come in once more to shoot Alistair down to where he should have been- In remission. It hoped Artie didn't here him, and if he did, it hoped he had ultimately dismissed the out-of-context statement. Now where was it again?

"Wonderful. Glad we could agree with each other." After the brisk handshake and warm smile Alistair's body stepped back. "My true form will be ready in just a few more hours. Then, we can go. If you desire, you may shift into whatever you want now. My job is to scare others to get exactly what I want. Since humans are such weak minded creatures, it would be wise to be as terrifying as possible." It thought aloud as it turned from Artie to think. "Hm, I hope Alistair does not mind much what we could cause tonight... Not like we particularly care, right?" Suddenly, he returned to put his arm around Artie's shoulder. "Just think- Tonight you are allowed to follow whatever instincts you may have. And when you do, my friend, trust me- Never will you ever feel so /alive/."

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[ARTISAN KIM]

There would always be limits. As much as he loved Lilly, he could only go so far until she turned away; he couldn't have the same kind of love humans had. As much as he cared about PJ, there would always be a limit to how close they could be after the invisible boy had seen the chimera's dangerous side. And for as long as he lived, Artie would be trapped in a body that placed a limit on how human he could be.

As the negativity of the monster's words seeped into Artie's thoughts, the chimera felt himself relying on the man's opinion and advice more. He soaked up every word, every suggestion, and responded to the monster's very tone of voice. With wide, expectant eyes, he looked up at Alistair's body.

“You'll always what?” he asked. Even though Artie remained on the floor, he turned his body to fully face Alistair out of both curiosity and respect. “What do you mean?” he asked, tilting his head. Just like that, Artie offered Alistair a lifeline.

Artie heard the words, but he didn't understand that they belonged to his master. As far as he knew, it was another cruel remark from the monster. He sighed and rubbed his shoulder, glancing over to the cabinet of alcohol. “There's no point in changing now, master. My body...it'll just adapt to the situation. It'll change into whatever it takes to hunt down my prey the easiest,” he said, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. Was this really such a good idea? “I'm...I'm sure a human would naturally be afraid of a monster especially designed to tear it apart.”

Even if he was a monster, would it matter if he was tearing apart women and children? What was right? What was wrong? Did he have the right to go out and hurt the people that'd abused and mocked him for years? In books, they always called that type of revenge “justice”. And to humans, justice was good. But then, why was he so hesitant to let his inner beast loose?

Before Artie could dwell on his morals for too long, Alistair's body had looped an arm around his shoulder. A chimera couldn't help but feel comforted. The monster's smiles were so warm and his words, so sincere.

“I didn't completely let loose when I attacked PJ,” he admitted, albeit distractedly, “I'm nervous about letting go for real. It'd be really hard - - no, it'd almost be impossible to get back to the state I'm in now. But...but I don't really have much to go back to, don't I? Everyone thinks I'm just a pet anyway. What about you? What do you think of me? Oh, I'm sure they won't miss me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't doubt you.”

Suddenly, Artie got up and made a beeline for the cabinet. The scent scorched his nose, and every breath scrubbed his lungs raw. He was sure that his sense of scent would be extra sensitive by the end of the night. Artie ignored his displeasure, however, and pulled a bottle of gin from the cabinet. “Humans love alcohol,” he murmured, reading the bottle in curiosity, “I wonder why!”

He poured himself a glass.

“I really want to know, though!” he said, “I've always wanted to know.” Bright, hazel eyes twinkled with a curiosity that in a few hours, Artie would throw away. His last adventure was going to be discovering why humans liked to drink. He really was just a child; he filled the glass to the top, raised the glass to his lips with both hands, and made faces at the taste. This was the Artie that was slipping through Alistair's fingers.

After awhile, Artie seemed to like the taste. He liked the taste a lot. He started taking bigger sips, licking his lips, and smiling in delight. But, he didn't notice how the drink loosened up his thoughts and tongue. He wasn't drunk enough to completely waste away, but the alcohol had its effect by making Artie more confident in his decision to throw away his human life. The drink also revved up his beast side, allowing it to become more prominent and feisty.

“How much longer until it's time?” he asked, “I really, really feel like hunting something. I don't even know if the beast will remember how to hunt properly, to be honest. You might need to help him start. He's really well-trained! He's a good boy!”

He laughed a little and took another sip.

“He just needs a little guidance sometimes, that's all.”

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[ALISTAIR PYREWICK]

As fast the outburst came, the sooner the monster seemed to dismiss it entirely. The monster was not going to allow Alistair to ruin its way of getting back at him by allowing him to directly take part on what it wanted to do. "It was nothing Artie,"The monster shrugged Alistair's shoulders, "I was thinking aloud is all." There. Simple enough. As much as the naturally demure man was psychologically clawing at the back of his skull, the bogeyman held him back with all of its might to keep him from persuading Artie. It once more gave him a reassuring smile before pressing on with its lies.

"Suit yourself." The monster took a sip of its wine. Why wouldn't Artie just switch now? What sort of adaption did he really have to do? With the legitimate boogeyman around, Artie would probably not need to exert as much effort as he would have alone. Then again, even it hadn't seen Artie personally at his fullest potential. To it, all that was obvious was how much of a softhearted idiot he was even in his most dangerous form. He had only heard of Artie being extremely violent, without actually witnessing it. And he wasn't at his fullest potential? Maybe Artie was more powerful than it thought.

On any case, it appeared the man was getting to be rather angsty. With an apologetic frown, the monster attempted to comfort him. "Shsh, hush now Artie, do not say that..." The drink was set down on the table so it could give him its fullest attention. "Artie, just do what comes naturally. You do not need to impress anyone but yourself." It chuckled lightly. "Artie, unfortunately... The truth is that humans allow themselves to heal over minor misfortunes... Yes, their... Friend will not be who he was, but wouldn't a true friend stick by your side despite what you may become... And if they do not, what sort of friend are they?" The monster's fingers drummed against the side table beside it. "Personally, I do not believe you are a pet, rather, a class on your own. A class that humans cannot comprehend. You are above them. And I understand that. Because I myself am up there with you."

Even though the monster considered itself above all and that Artie was separated from him by both immortality and cruelty.

Watching Artie pour himself a drink made the monster genuinely laugh aloud. The moment would have most likely been endearing if the bout of laughter wasn't impersonal, mocking, or hollow. Internally, the ringmaster certainly was not laughing. Liquoring up the innocent creature to further make him belief in twisted lies? How inhumane! "Feels good, Hm? Ah, if there is one thing that humans got right it was their taste in fine drinks." A smile crawled across his face as he lifted its glass. "Just be patient however, Artie. The time will come in just another hour or so. Follow your instincts and I am sure you will be fine... But..."

The shell of the ringmaster approached the window where the sun was clearly going down. Perfect. A bird flew near the outside of the newly cracked window. With Alistair's improved reaction time, the bird was snatched from the air. When the window was closed and the candlelight once more being the only source of light. In this dim light, it was revealed that this animal was indeed a harmless mockingbird. But, Artie had killed geese and other birds before right? What would make this so different? "Here you go. Kill it." The bird tweeted in terror, the calls becoming more shrill the tighter he squeezed. At this rate, if Artie wasn't going to kill it, the ringmaster would have popped its skull off.

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[ARTISAN KIM]

“You're so smart, master!” he said, “You're...you're totally right!” The chimera spoke in admiration and looked to the demon with complete respect. Finally Artie felt the respect and reassurance he'd spent his life trying to squeeze out of human beings, and it came from the supposed 'bad guy'. A small, frightened part of Artie's mind reminded the chimera about how much he loved Lilly and Alistair. But the beast within him was waking up, and it didn't want to be restrained and tied down by anybody. “Master, you're so cool!” he giggled.

Artie took another gulp from his glass, licked the rim like a child eating candy, and made a beeline for his pile of clothes. His tail shrank in size, so he turned his back to Alistair to save the ringmaster an indecent sight. The chimera felt revved up with positive energy, and tugged his clothes back on in an excited fervor. He was fumbling with the drawstring on a borrowed pair of pajama pants when he heard a simple, pleasant order: “Kill it.”

Two yellowing irises zeroed in on their prey. It was a different look than when Artie planned to kill for food, where he mercifully snapped the creature's neck and took his choice of meat. This was concentrated look he got when he was about to make a kill for sport. It was the look that would've had him instantly sedated back at the labs. When Artie slipped into a state like this, he performed his job as a chimera too well; he became an efficient, heartless killing machine.

Not once did his eyes leave the bird, not even as his fingers cracked. Claws extended thin and deadly, now about five inches in length to suit his method of killing the bird. The change happened to his left hand, his less dominant hand, and occurred in a split-second. Artie tore the bird from Alistair's grasp, tossed the creature into the air, and whipped his hand upwards. The speed and ferocity of his movements were inhuman, and truly like the monster he'd been fabled to be.

The bird crumbled.

To an observer, Artie barely twitched his fingers. But the bird had been sliced into clean, even cuts; it'd been severed alive through every vital region twice. Now, those hunter's eyes focused on Alistair's body. Artie tilted his head and smiled at the monster, pleased to give the man a sneak peak at the events to come. “Did you like that, master?” he asked, “What I can really do makes what I did to PJ look like a warmup.”

A shark-toothed grin glinted in the candlelight. “Another?"

Alistair still had time to save Artie if he could regain control of his body again, even for a short time. Artie was, and always would be, incredibly easy to control. Even children could manipulate him and order him around, and he'd obey every command.

"Master, do you have a challenge for me?" he asked, "Please! Test me! Give me a task! An order! I'm so excited! I-I never get to play like this."

Play. He spoke as if shredding a helpless animal to ribbons was an easy game of hopscotch.

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[ALISTAIR PYREWICK]

It only took the monster a fraction of a second to see that the once fragile boy had disintegrated into a developing monster. The empty warm smile on his face quickly filled with reason and emotion- but it all the worst ways. The expression now bore the intentions of malice, deceit, and poor scheming. Naturally, only the most steadfast and wary of people would have seen this sudden change of tone. But for Artie, the meaning was shrouded in ambiguity.

The instinct of 'kill, no mercy' was clear in Artie's own eyes as he went straight for the innocent mockingbird. Before its gory demise the bird cried out for help among its peers, but to no avail. With fiendish glee the monster forced Alistair to watch as his beloved chimera decimate the one of the most pure animals. In a graceful yet horrendous fashion the bird was reduced to futile shreds in the blink of an eye. Once the sinful action was complete, the monster laughed with pride and began to applaud.

"Bravo!" He smiled brightly. The action, in essence, was pure yet foul all at the same time. That was what the boogeyman genuinely liked about Artie. His purity made him succumb to even the lightest of pressures. Anyone could practically take him under their wing, say a few magic words and the chimera would be theirs. All because of his pure belief in pleasing as many people as possible and wanting a sense of true belonging.

What a loveable fool.

To further his acceptance of 'new' Artie, he stroked his head, the motion much like a master to an animal. If Alistair was in control, he would have filled the act with benign amiability to show friendly affection. Alistair still couldn't bring himself to feel higher than Artie in any sense besides his position in correlation to the circus. The monster knew it was more significant, more important. Artie was created by humans for humans. And to the monster, that was the lowest of the low that someone could be. "Oh, Artie I am sure. You have so much potential... And I am quite excited to see who you really deserve to be." A monster. But would the bogeyman say that?

When he asked for a new task, Alistair's red eyes looked around. What could the chimera be given...? Oh. It had a splendid idea. It put its finger up to give Artie the 'one moment please' sign. He stepped back before turning to the guards at the door, who, none the wiser, obeyed the monster's every request. After two minutes or so the guards returned with yet another animal in their hands. This time, it had more sentimental value.

In the ringmaster's hands now was a rabbit, white as virgin snow. Her eyes were also a piercing red, much like the master that possessed it. A few months prior Alistair had visited the stables to make sure all of the animals were alright. One of the pairs of borrowed rabbits had bred, which produced an albino rabbit. Outcasted for her genetics and poor survival chances the rabbit had unfortunately injured itself and was doomed to die. Alistair found it however, and brought it to a special spacious room to nurse it back to health. Although even the animal was extremely wary of his presence at all times and only loosely saw Alistair as an ally, it still meant a great deal to Alistair in terms of companionship. He would be heartbroken if anything happened to her.

Of course, the monster told none of this to Artie. All that was apparent was that this rabbit was ripped from its slumber and now was twitching under the grip of it. "Here, Artie." The ringmaster gently set her to the ground, where it hopped just a few steps forward before sitting in anxiety. "We are going to do a little exercise. You see this rabbit?" He pointed down to her. "Do to it as you would do to those scientists that told you that you only had a handful of years to live. Do to it as you would whenever Lilly would turn away from your natural behavior. Do to it as you would when PJ, swearing his loyalty and acceptance, cowered from you in total fear and horror. Do to it as you would when your mama feigned love for you as she sought after you like a spoiled women after a high priced pedigree. For all the jeers, jabs, foul remarks... For anyone who has ever wronged you, seek your vengeance on this rabbit." With a gentle swoop he herded the poor animal right in front of Artie, where it was doomed to run away.

"Make it suffer for all the times you had yourself."

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[ARTISAN KIM]

The chimera pushed himself to his feet, but wobbled at how unnatural the position felt. His arms windmilled to keep him upright, but he toppled backwards and landed on his tail. Why did he feel so helpless? Was it his body's way of telling him that this form didn't suit the monster he was becoming?

The creature looked up at Alistair in bewilderment. He had to work hard to decipher what sounded like garble bubbling from his master's mouth. The tone of voice was good though. That meant he was doing good, right? “M-master?” he asked, “I'm...”

The word ”scared” caught in the back of his throat. He'd never been too scared of slipping into his beast mode before...but this time, Artie was aware there was no going back. “Idiot! What did you think was going to happen? You don't deserve a human's body if you can't act like one. You'll just change into something that suits you better. But I mean...we don't really want to give up on this body, do we? I kinda like this form! Ugh, let me think. We can come up with something...” he thought.

Confused. Frustrated. Uncomfortable. Scared. That's all he could figure out.

That, and the urge to hunt down the rabbit hopping in front of him. As if playing right into the monster's plan, Artie pounced towards the rabbit with a growl. He pinned the animal on its backside, and ignored its squeaks of terror. From the monster's speech, Artie was able to understand that the rabbit was meant to suffer. No mercy was allowed.

The chimera snarled, even if his opponent wasn't particularly threatening, and locked eyes with the animal. His gaze never left the rabbits eyes, as he searched their reddened depths for fear and panic. It made the chimera feel good, to feel powerful. Finally, finally he could take out his pain on something.

Artie traced his claws over the chest and belly of the animal, skinning the poor creature alive. He opened its insides, carefully pulled back its rib cage, and found the heart. The rabbit was still alive – but barely so. Artie laughed. It was his usual giggling, the type that happened often when he was feeling pleased with himself or delighted by something.

The chimera wrapped his hands around the dying animal's heart, which pulsed in a frenzy. He could feel the organ pumping against his palm, like a frightened bird beating itself against a cage.

POP

Artie watched as the light switched off in the animal's eyes, and relished in feeling its final, twitching muscles struggle against his hold. Was it cruel? The chimera couldn't judge that; he could only tell what made him feel good, and what didn't.

And taking out his anger on that creature had felt good.

Artie busied himself with tearing through the animal for its meat. The bones were too thin to chew on, so he only focused on picking off the meat. There wasn't much to eat from such a tiny animal, but Artie wasn't the type to waste food. When he finished, he picked up the rabbit's empty, broken corpse in his jaws and crawled over to Alistair's body.

He dropped the mutilated creature at the ringmaster's feet and looked up, a desperately hopeful smile now on his face. “Proud of me?” he asked, “I did good...right?”

At least he could do this right. Maybe he couldn't be a human, but if he abandoned his quest for humanity...he could be the best monster there ever was! Searching for praise and attention, Artie brushed his head against the ringmaster's shins.”Hungry...” he grunted, “I want cake.”

[/size]

[ALISTAIR PYREWICK]

The ringmaster watched in total indifference as Artie seemed to struggle walking. Hm, he really was losing himself. Excellent. For a moment, it appeared Alistair's real persona returned, judging by the awfully blank expression in place on his face. The monster had dropped the act for a few to analyze the situation. It appeared that Artie's body was adapting to his decreasing mind. He had only killed a canary, and his body's humanity was already draining. Imagine when he aided in slaughtering a large sum of people. What hideousness would he morph into? Time would only tell, and when he was fully done he would be a pleasantly horrific surprise for Alistair.

Scared. He knew that word before it even came out. Artie had no idea what he was getting himself into, did he? The poor chimera. But still. He was muttering that phrase to the bogeyman. His thoughts?

I know you are.

You should be.

Of course, the attention-deficit animal fell for the bogeyman's test and went right after Alistair's beloved rabbit. He leaned himself against the desk while it allowed Alistair's consciousness to emerge for a few seconds. The true spirit watched in futile horror as his two most dear friends went at each other in a one sided fight to the death. The slow, painful demise that the rabbit received was death not even the cruelest of people could deserve. In just a few seconds the crime against humanity was completed. The monster put on a pleased smile as he crawled over, as if to show just how proud he was for the depraved act.

"Of course I am. I could not be more so." It praised as it used Alistair's hand to scratch the boy's head. "You did really good Artie. I told you, just be who you were meant to be. It does feel natural, hm?" With the mention of cake however the praise faltered. Solemnly, Alistair shook his head. "Artie, you do not need cake. Have you not seen how rewarding it is to be what you are right now? I let you have alcohol. That was your human treat. I am just worried that if you consume too much of what you used to eat that you will not be able to become what I was talking about-that class above the rest. Plus, I would not want your transition to be even harder for you mentally. You understand, correct?" It then stopped to Alistair's knees to look at Artie in the eyes.

"If there is anything else I can give you however let me know. In fact, if there is anything else in general I can do for you I can try my best to accomplish it." He sighed. "Just... Try not to overthink everything. Let it all come as it is. Life works better that way. I promise."

[ARTISAN KIM]

The chimera's blissful moment of praise was interrupted by the refusal of his request. “But...but it's just cake!” he said, “How does eating cake make the transition harder?” Just because he was transforming into a monster didn't mean he had to give up human food, right? After all, animals were treated to human food all the time! He'd seen advertisements with happy children giving their loyal puppies a lick of ice cream or scraps from under the table. At the very least, couldn't he be like that? “Please?” he begged, “I want it.”

Thankfully for the monster, Artie didn't cry this time. But he did, however, seemed to be throwing a “chimera-sized” temper tantrum. “It's not fair!” he sulked, “Why do humans get to have cake? If I'm part of that class, don't I get what I want? I want cake, master! Please?”

Well, it was the boogeyman's fault Artie was like this. The least the monster could do was learn how to control or discipline the chimera correctly. It was no secret that the child had been spoiled all his life, on both human and beast sides, and wasn't used to not getting his way.

If anything good came from Artie's unhappiness, it was aggression. At least the boogeyman could enjoy that aspect of the chimera...or manipulate it.
A surge of frustration was all the chimera needed to pounce on the rabbit's corpse, and shred whatever was left with his teeth. For awhile, he seemed satisfied with sinking his teeth into the dead flesh and rinsing his mouth with blood. The ligaments were fun to chew on, and made a pretty crackle once they popped off the bone. But when the animal was too far shredded for Artie to do anything more, he went back on his miniature rampage for sweets.

He wobbled to his feet and took a few, shaky steps towards the door. If nobody would bring him cake, he'd just go into the kitchens and take it! Artie was about a meter away from the door when his legs betrayed him, his footing became too off-balanced, and he crashed to the floor. “I. WANT. CAKE!”

His fists smashed into the floor, creating both a dent in the carpet and a burning sensation in Artie's knuckles. Were they broken? Carpet burn? It didn't matter, Artie smashed his fists against the floor a few more times to take out his anger in Alistair's office. By the end of his tirade, he was breathing heavily and covered in a slick layer of rabbit blood.

Uh-oh...

Artie looked back to Alistair's body with an apologetic, frightened look. Was he going to get in trouble? How mad was master going to be with him? He'd almost disobeyed master's orders by going to get his snack! Plus, disagreeing with master was a big no-no in the chimera world. Instantly, his frustration was replaced with a shameful tail tucked between his legs. “S-sorry, master...” he stammered, “I didn't mean it! I'm just hungry! Wh-what am I allowed to eat? I-I still want cake...b-but if master says so, maybe I can try something else. I still want it, though.”

As frightening as his mixed-state must have been to Alistair, there was clearly still more Artie than beast within the chimera's body. The boogeyman would have to work harder in order to fully free the monster. So far, he seemed to be doing an excellent job.

“I won't overthink anything, master!” he said quickly. He lowered his head and kept his gaze to the floor, expecting angry words or a beating to be sent his way any second. “Promise? Like...a pinkie promise?”

[ALISTAIR PYREWICK]

"I am just saying that becoming too attached to something you will miss might cause you-" The indifferent response was met with a childish tantrum... Which quickly melted into a bestial rage. Smoothly the monster backed Alistair up and sat daintily upon his desk. It folded his hands up in his lap, exhaled, and watched as the chaos ensued.

If this was what Artie would do for cake, imagine what he would do with humans! There were shouts, primal smashes, and threats to take what he wanted. That was the spirit! Of course, the monster only partially wanted Artie to follow his orders. After all, his human side would probably get all sentimental with the stupid sweet and miss it too much when he finally became a monster. Chances are, when that happened, the last thing the monster would want to eat would be cake. Of course, the brat also needed to learn how to defy orders. That was what would make him a monster. Turning against those he cared about for his very own needs. Though innocent now, it could become much more serious later... And much more wicked.

With his tantrum over, the monster approached Artie with a professional stride in his steps. It kept quiet to allow him to babble, his fear of the situation somewhat fulfilling. By the end of the night he would have had a decent amount of food just from his associate himself. Well, time to work his magic.

"Then you may have some." The whispered while beginning to applaud. "Artie, Artie Artie... I am impressed." A warm smile spread across his face as he leaned down to the chimera. "You are quickly becoming a stronger individual, and abiding by your own rules. You see Artie? Now you may have cake. Because, well, if I felt fear, I would e intimidated. You can have whatever you want behaving like that. You could have all the cake in the world, and not a single person would bother you." He stood up, approached the door, and quietly unlocked it.

"You may go get cake, if you wish. Might as well have a grand last hurrah while you are at it. He gestured forth to the entrance. "A promise is not necessary. I am just looking for your best interests. Do what you want, with no regrets or second thought. That is the best way to live." It worked for it, not for Alistair. Luckily, he wasn't here. "Just..." The scarlet in his eyes grew darker.

"Be careful with who you try to overcome."

[/font]

[ARTISAN KIM]

“Impressed?” gasped Artie. The chimera's face brightened and his tongue poked out, now happily panting in response to the news. The monster was impressed by him? No way! Artie was too star-struck to question anything the monster said, and eagerly nodded along to every word.

“Thank you, master! I'll be super careful!” he said, “Wow...no regrets, huh?” The blood stained creature scampered down the hallway, giggling and daydreaming about a life where he'd never be an outcast again.

- - - -

After spending the past hour holding the cooking staff hostage and forcing them to bake an obscene amount of cakes and goodies, Artie returned to Alistair's office with a skip in his step. Even if his manners were at an all time low, at least he'd regained to walk – albeit quite clumsily.

Artie skipped into the office like a total beam of sunshine, laughing despite the equal amounts of icing and dried blood stuck to his cheeks. “You were totally right, master!” he said, “I acted strong – just like you told me too! – and they made me all sorts of cake!”

If the monster was correct about how good it felt to succumb to instincts and how to get whatever one wanted, what other wonderful advice did the creature have? He scrubbed his face with the back of his sleeve, an oversized t-shirt with a teddy bear on it. The chimera had changed into his usual, few sizes too-big clothing to prepare for any future shifts. Alistair's borrowed clothes were neatly – or as neatly as Artie could get – folded at the foot of the chimera's bed. He didn't want to disappoint Alistair with wrinkly clothes!

“Maaaaaaaaster?” he called, looking around the empty office, “Where'd you go?” He tiptoed over to the desk with a yawn, and scooped up his teddy-bear from the floor. “I'm still hungry,” he sighed, “The cake was good, but I wish that rabbits came in bigger sizes.” Like he'd always done, he popped one ear of the toy into his mouth and got busy chewing.

He smelt the rotting of the rabbit and bird from earlier, and heard his stomach grumble. Meat? Did he want meat? Or was it the blood? Did he want to chew on something other than a plush toy? Artie tore his eyes away from the mess and skipped around the office, searching for his master. “Master? Are you ready yet?” he called, “When we go, there might be some pigeons I can catch on the way! I guess cake wasn't good enough.”

Like a child, the slender boy nuzzled his teddy-bear and hugged the toy close. It may have seemed that Artie had taken a few step backwards into humanity, but the predator look in his eyes was the only warning he wouldn't hesitate to rip someone's arm off if they tried touching his bear. Well, with the exception of master.

“I feel funny,” he babbled, “Master? Is turning into a permanent beast supposed to feel...strange?"

[/font]

[ALISTAIR PYREWICK]

Why... Why are you doing this to him?

As soon as the chimera bounded off for cake, the bogeyman slacked some of the tension it placed within Alistair's skull to allow itself a bit of ease. It took a lot of physical work to make sure that the ringmaster was in his proper place. Once the bogeyman's true prey was out of the room however it didn't have to work as hard. With a satisfied smile, the body of alistair picked up its beverage once more and made itself comfortable in the chair behind the desk.

"Ali, I do what I must to survive. You have done nothing but look after your own happiness and moral guilt. Since I lack the latter, I figured I may as well seek the former. You know, an eye for an eye?" Stolen vocal chords uttered a delirious chuckle. "Besides, we both know how much of a fool that damned sin-against-nature is. He is susceptible to the tiniest influence. Just look what I did to him. Do you really feel as if he is fit in this human world? Do not be so glum there, Ali. Think of my little exploits as a test. If his heart caves into the darkness that I tempt him with, will he be no better than those you have formerly banned from your previous circus who have committed the same heinous acts?" It closed his eyes halfway. "Or will you be the bad leader and demonstrate bias against him because he is your only friend? Would that not make your father so proud of you?"

The voice within the ringmaster's head faltered for a few seconds. What was he trying to get at? Here, anyone could be triggered into an attack based on whatever hard background they possessed before the circus. Not to mention everyone has inhuman abilities and mutations contradicting to their personality. There was no mercy in the acts the bogeyman was committing. The only incentive for it truly was to return the favor to Alistair by forcing him to watch his friend slip away into monsterhood. Two people were going to be dragged down in this ultimate plan of vengeance. Artie was wrong. It truly was evil.

N...n...no... Please, I beg of you- Take it out on me. Do not bring Artie into this. He does not deserve it. The only thing he has ever been to anyone is kind.... Do not make him into a monster! Stop! Now! Please..."

The cries were soon suppressed as the monster figured that it would rather suffer a migraine than listen to the nagging of Alistair. So, for the next hour, the monster began to consume Alistair's brain until there was nothing left. When Artie returned, not an ounce of humanity resonated in its new body.

------

Curled up in the nook under Alistair's desk, the monster's borrowed body curled itself up into a ball as it began to snort out breaths. Physically, the monster at this point was hard on speech. When in its usual form, it only spoke through the power of its mind and not vocally. That was just how it was built. Fortunately for the ringmaster's parasite, it could still talk, granted for not much longer. It was in its final stages before emerging fully.

"A-Artie, I am here..." He waved a simple hand above the desk to signal the chimera over. The facade of the best-interests monster returned once more. The deception would only go further. "I... Once... Once the sun goes down, I will be ready. Which will be in about...." He reached for a gold pocket watch from his chest. He clicked open the watch, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Ten minutes."

He shook his head, chuckling beneath his breath. "Mhm..." It was a creepy, unsettling noise. Why did Artie trust it again? The self satisfaction it relished from its accomplishments was astounding. And Artie was going to be just another fun little addition to its plan. With his question, Alistair's head tilted. "It may feel a little... Strange, due to how not used to you are to purposely making yourself this way... Just as I may be a little rusty in controlling Alistair's body since I am not used to ever being in charge. But, you are what best suits your design. Do not worry, it will all be over soon." A more comforting chuckle arose from his throat.

"I assume that there is no human thing left that you desire to do? At least, something that won't cause you a great deal of sadness?"

[/font]

[ARTISAN KIM]

The creature was hungry to spill blood, but addicted to the praise and love of his 'master'. Despite the steadily overpowering urge to venture out on his own, the chimera sat loyally besides Alistair's body. “There's nothing,” he said softly, “I'm no human.”

Artie stretched out on his stomach, much like a dog would beside its master. But that's what the demon liked, didn't it? Didn't the Boogeyman enjoy crushing Artie's sense of self-worth and playing with his insecurities like they were toys? Didn't he like the superiority that came with a creature dedicated to serving him without fail? "I'm a beast," said Artie, "But...I think it's okay, now."

The chimera's hazel eyes shut slowly, and thick lashes cast long shadows cascading down his cheekbones. “Can you do...just one little favor for me?” he asked, “I just...”

Artie hesitated. His heart pounded, his cheeks flushed, and he chewed his lower lip a he debated over his decision. Even his voice, relatively relaxed after the acceptance of his fate, had a tremble to it. “Would you just pat my head and say I've been a good boy?” he asked timidly, “Can you say that you're proud of me?"

Eyes still closed, the chimera lowered his head. Messy, unruly brown bangs obscured his vision and protected him from Alistair's gaze. It was an embarrassing request to say the least, but one that Artie desired more than anything. The favor itself only proved how far away from his dream of 'humanity' that the chimera actually was. He spent all of his life learning and studying the way of humans, yet couldn't help but crave a type of comfort reserved for puppies. “I've always wanted someone to say that to me,” he said, “So, can you tell me nice things like that until it's time? I think ten minutes is enough for me to drift away...and I want the last words I understand to be nice. I'm going to start letting go now, okay?"

Artie sucked in his breath, swallowed back tears, and allowed his mind to drift. Memories became blurred, faces indistinguishable, objects alienated, and so forth. But his emotions became stronger, so strong that they overpowered anything else. There was scarcely any logical thought going through his head, now that he permitted himself to become a beast of emotion. Low, rumbling growls and painful moans escaped past the chimera's lips. Most of what he said was a collection of garbled grunts and snorts of various animals. But every so often, he'd choke out a broken whisper. "G-good...boy? Artie...did good?" 

There was...so much pressure bubbling inside his head. The human side of him clung onto whatever stability was left, while the beast side overpowered the poor chimera with instincts. He could see a life where he could run free, where he could feel power coursing through every muscle and vein. A beast could feel the wind against his face when he hunted, could worry about nothing but the excitement of catching its prey, and lived according to its own rules. His foot twitched as he imagined himself running and running, exhausting himself in an endless field big enough for him to romp around in. And he smiled slightly, knowing that beasts needn't please anyone but themselves. "F-free," he moaned, "B-beast...free?" 

Then, he was filled with a passionate urge to do one thing only: kill.

"H-h-hungry," he grunted, "Hrrngh." The chimera clutched his stomach and his eyes flew open, revealing a drastic change. Where the whites of the eyes should've been, there was nothing but black. The irises were an eerie, silver that reflected the low light. Thoughts of fresh killings flickered through his mind, appearing both as animals and people equally. He panted heavily, heaving for breath, as his body rippled. It didn't know what form to take, and wouldn't know until they were out in the field, so it merely caused the boy pain from semi-shifting. I bone would stick out the wrong way and the flesh would stretch, then revert back into his human body. But the pain of improper shifting was nothing compared to hunger. The chimera couldn't help but drool at the thought of sinking his teeth into delicious, frightened prey that he could tear up with his claws. "S-so hungry," he said, "Hnngh...arrrgh...Free? Free? Free?! Beast free? K-kill them! Finally! N-need kill!" 

And so, the monster laughed.

And refused to ever speak the dreaded human language again. 

The Boogeyman could get the general idea of what Artie wanted based on the creature's odd grunting and body language, but it wasn't like Artie was in a position to oppose if the demon misinterpreted him. He was right where the demon wanted him. Artie was unable to vocally express himself, trusted the demon to the point of dependency, and was in a state of mind that was highly dangerous for anyone around himself. 

An otherworldly cry erupted from the chimera's throat. It was a battle cry, a victory cry, and the cry of someone in anguish all at once. There was much pacing, whining, and grunting as the creature tried to tell the demon to let him eat -- only, it was a game of charades when Artie couldn't speak. He longed to hunt after his prey. He'd been a little boy, last time he'd been let loose. And now? He was a man, someone much more capable and adept at his killing art. It was purely instinctual, and once he was released outside Alistair's office...the world would finally see how a true chimera was supposed to behave.